


There Is Nothing For Me But To Love You

by beckettemory



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Later Chapters Contain Tears, Love songs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 16:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4144446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beckettemory/pseuds/beckettemory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose hears a new song she quite likes in town one day and can't get it out of her head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There Is Nothing For Me But To Love You

**Author's Note:**

> general food mention in the first section

_“I will feel a glow just thinking of you_

_And the way you look tonight...”_

Rose Quartz stopped in her tracks outside the grocery store, her ears picking up a few words of a song she’d never heard before drifting out of the open door. She’d heard most songs by now—five thousand years in more-or-less one place meant she’d heard most of the popular tunes in any given time period.

She was proud of the human race; they’d moved at a snail’s pace for almost the entire time the Crystal Gems had been on Earth, but recently—in the past hundred years or so—they’d really started moving. Technical revolutions tended to do that. And now there was even more music to enjoy, and more and more varieties of it and different foods and—and wow that song was lovely.

The voice crooning through the radio at the rear of the store continued uninterrupted, and Rose stepped for the first time in her life into an Earth grocery store. They didn’t _need_ to eat, so for the most part they didn’t. It was easier that way. Little Amethyst liked trying new things, though, and _ooh_ , _that’s a vegetable I’ve never seen before_. She’d buy Amethyst some of those funny little trees and a couple lemon drops. She’d stay long enough to hear the rest of the song and be on her way. There was moss to be tended to.

She plucked a few clumps of trees—“broccoli”, the sign said—off of the display and slowly made her way to the counter, hips swaying to the calm music as she walked, each step carefully ruffling the hem of her light pink dress. The man behind the counter frowned at her, crinkling his nose at her bare feet, but he blinked and Rose wore white penny loafers and _really, he should have noticed them before, they are very stylish_. He begrudgingly turned away from Rose and rearranged the various tobacco products behind him.

_“With each word your tenderness grows_

_Tearin’ my fear apart_

_And that laugh, wrinkles your nose_

_Touches my foolish heart”_

Rose smiled, closing her eyes briefly as she listened to the song, its catchy melody and heartfelt lyrics. The man behind the counter cleared his throat and she giggled, stepping up to the counter and plunking four lemon drops into a paper bag while the clerk began ringing her up. She swayed gently to the music.

“What’s this song called?” she asked, the words bubbling up out of her before she could think them.

The clerk huffed and shrugged. “Forty-two cents,” he grumbled, eyeing her as she rummaged around in her pocket and counted out forty-two cents (all for his benefit—she had conjured the exact change into her hand already).

“Where do you buy music around here?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

The man sighed. “Down Indigo Street, Mr. Oliver has a record shop.”

Rose flashed a grin at him and sauntered out, calling “thank you!” and “goodbye!” over her shoulder as she popped a lemon drop into her mouth. She reached the opposite side of the street just as the song faded out, and she paused just long enough to hear the name of it from the fast-talking radio host.

“The Way You Look Tonight.” A beautiful name for a beautiful song.

She sucked thoughtfully on her lemon drop as she rounded a corner onto Indigo Street, wondering just how much records and record players cost.

* * *

 

“Rose? What is it? Are you okay?” Concern twisted Pearl’s already sharp features, and Rose smiled reassuringly.

“I’m fine, love. I just wanted to show you something.” Immediately Pearl’s face relaxed. Rose didn’t lie to her.

Their soft footsteps made the hovering meadow bounce slightly, the smell of wild strawberries tinging Pearl’s thoughts pink. Or maybe that was from Rose reaching out to lock their fingers together. It was always hard to tell up here.

Rose came to a stop and looked expectantly at Pearl, who glanced around, confused.

“...what did you want to show me?” Pearl asked, wondering why she couldn’t see anything different.

Rose took Pearl’s other hand and began humming, swaying softly from side to side, the meadow swaying as well.

_“Someday, when I’m awfully low,”_ Rose began, and Pearl’s eyes widened. It had been years since Rose had sung for her.

_“When the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you, and the way you look tonight_.” Pearl flushed, her cheeks turning pale blue, and she pulled one hand free to cover her mouth shyly.

Rose grinned and ran her free hand through Pearl’s short hair. _“Yes, you’re lovely, with your smile so warm and your cheeks so soft, there is nothing for me but to love you, and the way you look tonight.”_

She held out a hand, and Pearl took it. They fell into place, hands clasped between their chests, Rose’s other hand on Pearl’s waist, Pearl reaching up almost above her head to place her hand on Rose’s shoulder. They hadn’t danced in years, either, but this... This would always feel natural. They swayed gently in a circle, not really dancing, but it didn’t matter.

_“With each word, your tenderness grows,”_ Rose continued, and Pearl looked away, flushing a deeper blue. _“Tearin’ my fear apart. And that laugh, that wrinkles your nose, touches my foolish heart.”_ Pearl met her eyes again, smiling, her face more open and honest than it had been in months, maybe years.

Rose brushed her thumb softly over Pearl’s cheek. _“Lovely... Never, never change. Keep that breathless charm,”_ she chuckled, and Pearl laughed softly. _“Won’t you please arrange it? ‘Cause I love you, just the way you look tonight.”_

Rose stopped spinning and took Pearl’s thin face into her hands. She pressed a soft kiss to her gem, and when she pulled back Pearl had her eyes closed.

_“Just the way you look tonight,”_ Rose sang slowly, and kissed her.

Rose swam out of focus when Pearl opened her eyes, and as she blinked tears rolled down her face. Rose watched a droplet fall to the grass below and panicked.

“Oh no, oh no oh no, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—“

“No,” Pearl whispered. “That was... that was beautiful.”

Relieved, Rose smiled softly and wiped away Pearl’s tears. “I’m sorry I haven’t been paying as much attention to you lately.”

Pearl shrugged sadly. “Duty calls,” she wavered.

Rose fell silent, then sank to the ground gracefully and tugged Pearl down into her lap.

“I think we’ve gotten the North Sea taken care of now, so we won’t be constantly out on missions for a while.”

Pearl nodded. They were silent for a few minutes, both reveling in the quiet and the warmth of each other. It really had been a while.

“Will you...” Pearl trailed off, then, desire to ask trumping embarrassment, continued. “Will you teach me that song?”

Rose laughed merrily and kissed Pearl on her gem. She began humming, and Pearl joined in, catching on quickly.


End file.
